The present invention relates to the self-installation of subscriber terminals in a packet switched wireless access network.
One of the advantages of a wireless network system is the ease of installation owing to the absence of cable laying. It is therefore important that the installation of base stations and customer premises systems is straightforward, rapid, low cost, and error free to preserve this advantage. A significant barrier to the market acceptance of wireless network systems is the complexity and cost of installation perceived by potential subscribers of the system. These disadvantages also affect the profitability of network installation.
Typically wireless networks employ a cellular structure with base stations supporting a few hundred users for example, each of which is connected by a small radio transceiver or subscriber terminal. Packet switched wireless data networks typically use IP protocols in which data is routed around the cells of the network to and from nodes such as computers and digital phones in subscribers"" premises using IP routing. In large systems of inter-connected packet switched networks such as the Internet for example, access networks such as fixed wireless access (FWA) networks are sub-netted such that each cell in which each base station is radio linked to a plurality of subscriber terminals is designated a sub-net of the FWA network. Similarly the IP nodes attached to a subscriber""s terminal are designated a sub-net of the xe2x80x9ccellxe2x80x9d sub-net. Sub-netting is well known in the art and provides for adequate routing times. The particular version of sub-netting which is required is that defined in RFC 1519xe2x80x94Classless Inter-Domain Routing. This use of sub-netting however implies that each subscriber terminal and node unique Internet address will be dependent on the particular base station used within the FWA network.
Currently access terminal installation at a subscriber""s premises requires the use of a specialist technician to select a particular base station in the subscriber""s general geographical area using a radio survey, and then collaborate with the network operator to determine a unique Internet address for each subscriber node within the range allocated to the selected base station. This is both inconvenient to the user and represents a considerable cost in the roll-out of a packet switched wireless access network.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved or at least alternative method of installing subscriber terminals in a packet switched wireless access network.
In a first aspect the present invention provides a method for installing subscriber terminals in a packet switched wireless access network comprising a plurality of base stations, wherein the terminals network address is dependent on the base station to which said terminal is radio linked, said method comprising the steps of determining a unique identification reference and the installation site for said terminal ; pre-loading each of said base stations within the geographical area of said installation site with said reference and a network address for said terminal which is dependent on said base station; receiving a connect message including said reference from said terminal to one of said base stations; transmitting to said terminal the network address dependent on said receiving pre-loaded base station.
Preferably said one of said base stations is selected by performing a radio survey to determine the optimum radio link between said terminal and the base stations within said geographical area.
Preferably said network is an IP network and said network address is an IP address.
Preferably the pre-loading step comprises storing in a DHCP server in each said base station said reference and said network address.
Preferably comprising the step of transmitting to said terminal a sub-net mask and default router reference which are dependent on said selected base station.
Preferably said determining step comprises the supplier of said terminal forwarding said terminal identification reference and said geographical area to an operator of said network.
In a second aspect the present invention provides apparatus for installing subscribers in a packet switched wireless access network comprising a plurality of base stations, wherein the terminals network address is dependent on the base station to which said terminal is radio linked, said apparatus comprising: means for pre-loading each of said base stations within the geographical area of the installation site of said terminal with a unique identification reference for said terminal and a network address for said terminal which is dependent on the pre-loaded base station; means for receiving a connect message including said reference from said terminal to one of said pre-loaded base stations; means for transmitting to said terminal the network address dependent on said receiving pre-loaded base station.
Preferably said network is an IP network and said network address is an IP address.
Preferably said means for pre-loading comprises storing in a DHCP server in each said base station said reference and said net address dependent on said base station.
In a third aspect the present invention provides a self-installing subscriber terminal for use in a packet switched wireless access network comprising a plurality of base stations, wherein the terminals network address is dependent on the base station to which said terminal is radio linked, said terminal comprising means for transmitting a connect message including a unique identification reference for said terminal to one of said base stations; and means for receiving a network address dependent on said base station.